Deer Herd Management for Georgia Hunters

Basic Deer Biology

Scientific studies of white-tailed deer in recent years have
provided much knowledge of deer biology and behavior which can be
applied to hunting leases, clubs, or farms. For example, deer
home range sizes in Georgia vary from 150 acres to more than 1,200
acres with does having smaller ranges than bucks.

Smaller ranges are found in higher deer populations in better
deer habitat such as that found in the Georgia Piedmont and Upper
Coastal Plain (see map). Differences in deer movements and
range sizes can greatly influence hunting leases.

Although most hunters think in terms of bucks and good antler
development, it is the doe segment of the herd which determines
most of the differences in deer populations. For example,
depending on the food supply and the total deer population in a
given area, does can produce twins, singles, or not bear any fawns
at all. After the fall hunting season, the number of fawns in
the harvest divided by the number of yearling (1.5 year old)
and adult does in the harvest yields the recruitment rate. In
Georgia, recruitment rates can vary from 0.3 to 1.4 fawns per
doe. The difference in the rate is extremely important because
total deer deaths must match total recruitment each year for the
population to remain stable. If recruitment exceeds the total
death rate from hunting and other causes in any particular year,
then the deer population increases. This increased growth
occurs only up to a point. Eventually, the population reaches a
size where it exceeds the available food supply ("carrying
capacity" of the land) and this results in lower recruitment, poor
antler development, lower body weights and eventually a lower
population as the remaining food supply is damaged.

What about factors affecting antlers? Buck antler
development is controlled by age, nutrition, and
genetics. Genetics does not appear to be an important factor
limiting antler development in Georgia. This means that
stocking to improve the strain of deer is not a viable or feasible
solution to correct antler development problems. For most deer
herds in Georgia, age is the single most limiting factor for antler
development. Under heavy hunting pressure, bucks simply
do not live long enough to produce large antlers. In parts of
the Lower Coastal Plain and Mountains, bucks live to much older
ages but nutrition levels are often poor and limit antler
development in these regions. Likewise, poor nutrition also
occurs in spots in the Piedmont when deer herds get so large that
their food supply is reduced in quality or quantity. Again,
antler growth suffers.

The deer herd that you hunt is the result of a complex
interaction between food supply, population size, reproduction,
mortality factors, movements, weather, and past
history. However, there are methods for controlling deer
harvest to reach the desired objective for the deer herd. The first
step is to establish your objective.